"...Going out this morning with a .45 in my hand..."

Mes Amis

Yeah, you're damn right I got the blues...

Its the Dundee Blues festival, folks. Two days of blues across the city. Which is a good thing because, what with another year having fallen away last week I was feeling the blues... heh...

With That Girl and more nefarious company coming to the city, we hit a few bars and listened to some good tunes. In fact many bars we couldn't hit because they were so packed out and ended up tucked in The Basement (on No.25 as I suppose it is now known) where we chilled out with the piano led blues of Sam Payne, who played a blinding set including a rude little song about a bumble bee that had That Girl in paroxysms of laughter.

After that we wandered the city for a while looking for more blues and while we found them we couldn't find the bar. So back to the Basement which is one of those cool little places its easy to walk past but is absolutely wonderful inside. When its quiet its intimate and relaxing and when its busy... man... The after hours club: Rattlesnake Daddies and Bottleneck John we're talking the real blues. Steel guitar, harmonica, from-the-gut blues. With the beer flowing, the band playing and an "older" couple practically humping each other in the corner, a good night was had by all. Except those unfortunate enough to spot the gyrating oldies.

Forget Chicago, folks: for two days a year - and maybe more - Dundee is the real home of the blues.

Au revoir

Russel